Monday, November 26, 2012

Wow Hi family…what a crazy week. We have been running all over the place. It has been crazy, but good! Lemme start from the beginning…Aka Lunes. After writing you guys I gave my first district meeting lesson. It went well. Talked about how we can help our new investigators turn into progressing investigators. I thought it went well. There is a new attitude in the district and we are getting stoked to work again. We have a lot of upcoming baptisms in the district which is awesome! Also in our area we have a couple coming up in for us as well! There is one who is the cousin of a member who is now living with her. She loves the church and is soaking everything up! The other one is a man like 60 years old. He is a “dry member”. He has known the church for over 30 years but his wife never wanted to get married. But he lives as a member! He knows more than us! And his wife finally one day agreed to being married! So we are in the paper work stage right now. Also I think I told you about another guy, he’s a stud. He used to live in the states but had a stroke and brain surgery. So he is pretty down right now. He doesn’t want to do his exercises. So we are visiting him getting him stoked again. This week we talked about the faith, hope, and charity in Moroni 7 and if he has hope he will have faith (verse 42) and faith will always lead us to act. Every time we visit him he gets stoked!
So this week was crazy! Did the interviews with President, only problem was that our beloved zone leaders didn’t tell us until late the night before, (the assistants never told them) but that’s beside the point. I love interviews, they are always so good, and just what I need! After the interviews we started divisions with the Elders in Fraijanes. I went with Elder Martin. He goes home in December. He became the zone leader out in Zacapa once I left and now he is training to finish out his mission. He is a great missionary. I learned a lot from him. While there I did a baptismal interview. It was great! Went well and he passed. He got baptized today (Sunday)! Well that night we didn’t have dinner and we were kinda close by PriceSmart (it’s like Sam’s Club or Costco) so we went and ate the pizza and a chicken bake with ranch. Just like in the states! It was so good!! I haven’t had ranch for 18 months! The next day we went to a district leader training meeting in the capital, saw like my whole group I swear! Our whole group are leaders; we have a solid group that entered together. Well on the way back we didn’t have lunch that day either, so we somehow ended up at TGI Friday’s, IDK how, but it was so good! That was a little Thanksgiving celebration we had for ourselves. I thought about you guys that day, but in the night time we got invited to a thanksgiving dinner. NBD! A member here invited all 24 missionaries in the zone to go eat at his house. It was so good! He hired a chef for us! I felt like I was in the states it was so nice. So don’t worry me we were in great hands that day. The next day went on more divisions but this time with Elder See in Pajon. He has about 5 months and is a great missionary. We worked so hard! We had an appointment from 10-8 every hour! That has never happened! We worked hard, he will be a great help to the mission. His mom is a part of the mothers blog because he received his micro fiber towel and a small little Christmas tree with decorations (classic missionary mom blogger, remember when you did that!!!). While we were there a less active that we were teaching thanked us, but this time you could feel his sincerity and his love for us. He said our words really truly helped him. It got me thinking about what we are doing out here. The people we are helping, the words that the spirit puts into our mouths, a lot if not all the time, I take it for granted. I don’t realize what I’m doing out here and the people I am truly helping. It has become almost second nature because we are always doing it. It mean we plan for each person and truly try to help them (teach people not lessons) but when he thanked us it put all that into perspective of all the good that we are doing. I think that mixed with doing the baptismal interviews and seeing the people changing has opened my eyes to see just how big of a difference we are doing out here.
I love it! So in Pajon we did another interview with a kid who has 15 years, but he looks like he is 25. I thought he was so old but nope! He passed. So ya that’s the week in a nut shell! Oh but also did divisions with the zone leader’s (Elder McNabb pure stud) to do more interviews! I did an interview for one of the coolest people I have met here in the mission, super humble and so smart. During the interview we talked a lot like 45 minutes just about everything and I testified of the church and how happy we both feel from it! He is such a good guy and is already a great member! I love him! Did another interview after…and this week is looking just as busy with service, appointments, divisions, and interviews. Its good, I like being busy and helping / getting to know all the missionaries in the district! I love this church it is so true, so amazing! It makes me so happy. I love being out here. I don’t ever miss you guys! You were all together…without me…having fun…while I’m here…alone…in the cold…Oh well…
Well I love you all and hope you guys have a great week!
Elder Call

Monday, November 19, 2012

We are seeing a lot of
preparation for the new wave of missionaries that are coming; they now have
split the mission into 12 zones, 4 outside and 8 inside the capital. Right now
all the zones only have like 8 missionaries, but our zone wasn’t affected and
we still have 24 missionaries, by far the biggest zone here! and our district
of 14!!!!

Also I’m district
leader... kinda interesting how that goes, as part of DL we interview all of
the people before their baptisms to see what they have learned and if they are
really ready to make this important covenant with God, well I get to do my
first one this Wednesday! It was crazy!!! But it was fun and went well. She got
baptized last Saturday. And this week will be busy with interviews and
divisions with the areas here.

I GOT MY PACKAGE!!!!
LIKE 20 MINUTES AGO! Thank you so much! I still haven’t opened it yet but will
do once we get home!!!!

I don’t know what
happened but my comp has just lost all interest to be here, or to be a
missionary. It is like pulling teeth to get him to work, but we are moving
forward, and I am trying to help him, we still have a really good friendship
and relationship which has helped a ton! Because if we didn’t there would have
been no way he would still be here, we are both very open and just trying to
help him!

So yesterday there was
another earthquake (but it didn’t do any damage) but in Nueva Concepcion which
is where I thought Chase was, is he ok? Was it even there or did something even
happen? That’s just what I heard.

Oh man I am so happy
today, idk why. Well a couple questions... How is Sister Wilcox doing? Also
when is the date to sign up for classes? I would like to do that, and study it
out (at least the professors) maybe would take only like an hour, but I would
have to ask President Stay. So when is the date? Also I heard that like
a whole bunch of states want to break off from the United States?!? What is going on
with that? And what is Obama care? Also the war in Jerusalem? Fill me in, also
I never really understood, did Lance Armstrong get caught doping? Was there
hard evidence? Or whatever happened? Also what was his reaction?

Ok so this week was
crazy!! Really fast because there is no time!!

1. We painted a house
(photos included) it took all day; it would have been a lot faster if people
listen to me but nobody listens!!!

Also I paid the
electric bill today 81.59 Q`s!!!! That’s like 10.45 dollars. Ya I’m thinking
about coming back and living here!

Alright family I’m
sorry we are out of time!! I promise I will write better, I think it’s time for
the hand written again because I can say more!! But I love you and that is all
that matters. This church is true, I know it, and I love It.! I love helping people
change I love Jesus Christ I love my savior. Have a good week and a great
THANKSGIVING!!!!(Sigh.... otro holiday alone...) but this time we have
Applebee’s :) we will see what happens.

Monday, November 12, 2012

The following video is a portion of the news cast on a Guatemalan National News Station airing Friday evening November 9, 2012...it starts at 1840 (640 pm) and the missionaries come on doing service for the earthquake around 1844 (644 pm)...Chad is on there at around 1845 (5:45 minutes into the video, you can fast forward if you want) for about 1 second taking something off a truck...but he looks so happy!!! The missionaries are in yellow vests...See if you can see him!

Ah family!!
IM ALIVE!!!! no se preocupe!
The earthquake was crazy! we were sitting in our room studying when I felt it first, it was sudden, not really strong, then my comp noticed it and it started getting stronger, when we were like wobbling from side to side, we just sat there thinking this is kinda cool, then it clicked ... oh maybe we should go outside... so we walked outside and we could see all the ripples in the street like the energy waves it was crazy! and the bushed and lamp posts were shaking so hard! but not enough to do any damage, it only made a lot of cracks in the plaster of the house, but nothing serious. as far as them becoming second nature I feel like I am always feeling an earthquake, idk if they are real or if I’m just imagining them, but
they are going to do the changes one week early next changes, so they will be most likely on the 18th of December, around that time, and the changes are tomorrow!!! we still don’t know if we have changes they will tell us in like an hour, but I doubt it, not until next change when I will leave! which I’m not too happy about having to leave like a week before Christmas! I love this area where I am at!!!
I am always listening to those albums on my iPod (Nashville’s Tribute Band) I love them, not so much the one about trek but the other two I am always listening to them!
Mom are you kidding me about the phone upgrade?! (Samsung Galaxy S III) well do you like it? a lot of people have that phone here, it seems pretty good but huge! also I wouldn’t mind if you bought me that computer, you guys can even open it and get it ready for me or use it before I come home I wouldn’t mind.
after reading the email from president I have a feeling I will open an area with so many changes that are going on! it is crazy how many new missionaries are coming. it is amazing to see the changes that this will bring.
So I don’t know if you got that email from the member Wednesday night saying that we were ok, I hope so. we were eating dinner there when he offered to send it home, so he pulls out his black berry and sends it... ya sometimes I don’t feel like we are in Guatemala in this area. But that night the whole country was on red alert, because there is always a possibility of another earthquake so I had a bag packed with the things important (money, water filter, license, clothes) but my comp one upped me and slept with his clothes on! and with his pockets stuffed with the goods, that gave me a laugh. But luckily nothing happened and we worked normally the rest of the week,
So Friday we went and helped give service as a zone, we went and helped loaded supplies to send via airplane to San Marcos to help out over there, I love doing that type of stuff, like really is there a job that has to do something with that? because I love it! we worked hard loading up a moving truck with water and other food items that they need over there, also we made kits that contain a blanket, rice beans oil, salt sugar and other things ready to eat. it was really fun, there were a bunch of news channels there...
IM FAMOUS!!!!! a member called Saturday morning saying that she saw me on the 6 o´clock news Friday night! I was in a truck receiving all the bags to load up. I’m famous NBD (no big deal)

umm Saturday we went to EL TEMPLO!!! Teculutan and San Jorge went to go visit the temple so that means I got to see all my converts!!! There are no words to express what I feel every time I see them and see how happy they are! I actually miss san Jorge and Teculutan!! seeing all the members makes me so happy and sad at the same time!!! But they are doing amazing, those areas will always have a special place in my heart, and I will never forget the people there.
So we were teaching Saturday night an investigator about the Book of Mormon, he told us he hadn’t read a lot, turns out he is in first Nephi chapter 11! he has the goal to read the whole book this week; he says his eyes have really been opened so we will see what happens with him! but after teaching him, we made fish! they just went fishing and caught a ton! of tilapia I think? I don’t know but we cleaned them then stuffed a whole bunch of seasoning in side and a whole bunch of "monte" it was interesting but super good!

also Sunday we had the primary program, it was so cool! I had never seen one of those here!
alright family I’m sorry this was just an all over the place email! but just know that I love you and that we are doing amazing!!! that is all that matters. I hope everything is going well back home! because EVERYTHING IS GOING GREAT HERE!!! I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission, and to help other people, and to strengthen my testimony and knowledge of the gospel! it’s amazing!!! YOUR ALL AMAZING!!!! love you so much and see you soon!
Elder Call

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Well this has been another interesting week, not like I thought it would be…Monday after the Doctor’s appointment that I had to stop writing for (sorry, I wanted to continue writing), but he got the staples removed, then we returned to our area! Home Sweet Home!!! The next day I was feeling anxious and pressure to start working because he was walking around the house and almost normal. But all that left when we walked to our Comedor’s house here in the same gated community. It’s not that far, and his legs were supper wobbly and weak and he was super tired. So that is when I took a step back and realized that he needs to rest (obviously, he just had surgery!). So I calmed down and we’ve had a great time this week. The missionaries from the other area came and helped us out with some errands (grocery shopping and dirty clothes) then I went with Elder Crathy (he is new only has 1 month in the mission) and worked in his area (San Jose Pinula) it felt great to get out and work. The next couple of days I did divisions with the ward members and we got out and worked a little, but it’s hard because of their schedule. So I have had a lot of studying time and we borrowed Monopoly from some members. We've played that game 5 times now with me winning every time. I’m basically a pro at that game. Also, I have had some great time for studying the scriptures. Two scriptures I really liked (right now I am in 2 Nephi) (in Spanish it is Nefi) is in 2 Nephi 1:21 when Lehi is giving some of his last words to his sons, he cared and loved his family so much which I imagine is how the majority of parents are. Just full of this love, you can really see how much it hurt him the rebellious nature of Laman and Lemuel. In this verse he is almost pleading with them on his death bed (3 chapters later he dies) saying so that he can die in peace. “That my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you.” I love this line it is what impacted me the most. “Arise from the dust my sons and be men.” I don’t know why but I really like that, it impacted me, and then in verse 23 he tells us how. “Awake my sons; put on the armor of righteousness.” And then I went to study the armor of righteousness in Ephesians 6: 11-17 and President Lee explained what each piece of armor is.
I love reading the Book of Mormon, it makes me so happy! There is a spirit that comes from reading it. If you aren't reading it, read it! If you are reading it, continue reading it! It is never too late to start! Read it, I promise you feel something different as you start a real study of that book. We should read it every day. I am so grateful to Uncle Jay for getting me into the habit. It doesn't matter the cantidad (quantity), but the quality of your study. (I don’t know if that makes sense I translated that from Spanish, but you get the idea) but you just read a little, you don’t need to read the whole book each day to receive the spiritual strength needed daily.
So with the new age limit change we are seeing so many differences of changes that are going to take effect. As of right now we are increasing by 60 missionaries. That’s in the long run, but short term by February we will have increased like 30 and that number will continue rising as missionaries get assigned here. In these next couple changes 24 new areas will be created. Which is unprecedented or unheard of! We are definitely seeing history take place right now. It is amazing to be a part of this all!
A really cool experience we had this week was a reference we received from a member in the mission central. I went with another missionary, a good friend, Elder Hollingsworth, and they are such an awesome family. They really love the idea of family home evening. (Noche de Hogar). So we are planning one with them, with them everything is based on the families because they are so family oriented. They also have so much talent! They have some paintings and drawings that are breath taking! We gave them “The family proclamations” and told them to read it together! We are expecting great things from them. I love how family oriented this Gospel is! It’s all about families. I love my family!!! I love you guys.
So Sunday my comp bore his testimony in church it was really heartfelt, and sincere. He is a good guy. He thanked me for all I’m doing for him and just a big stud!! I hadn't realized how big of an impact I had made on him. He is super homesick and has wanted to go home, basically ever since he got here. He doesn't want to work or follow the rules. So I've been trying to help him see the blessings of the mission and why we have to be obedient and that the mission can be fun while still working. Mainly just by being his friend and making him laugh, we are always laughing, he is such a giant teddy bear. I love him! We are always having a good time. I hope it is helping him. I think it is based on his testimony.
Well after I got up and bore my testimony by saying that my comp is still drugged up. Based on what he is saying. Then talked about how we receive so many blessings out here, but even more our families (there are 4 future missionaries that leave in the next 2 months). Then I said what Dad told me…once how he wants me to stay out here for all the blessings he is receiving…everyone laughed!
Oh so do you believe in Karma? Because what went around is now coming back around! Let me explain…So I used to always scare Dad and would die of laughter. Well now Elder Mejia is always sneaking up on me and scaring me super bad! Dad would tell me it hurts him but I still would do it. I say the exact same thing to him but he still does it!! Also he plays pranks on me like switching my drink with a different bottle (same design) but filled with water. I’M SMARTER THAN THIS!!! I don’t know what is happening but I’m going to step it up and not let him get me again.
So all this down time is preparing me to be married because I cook for him every meal, wash the dishes and run whatever small errand in the house, for his water or back, just whatever he needs. One night I came home from working with the members and I was dead tired (I've gotten used to being in the house) but I still had to make him dinner so I imagined it will be like that when I am married coming home from work dead tired but there are still tons of things to be done at home (wife, kids, clean or cook)…so basically I am now ready for that!

Alright family, I love you all so much. Thank you so much for all your love, support and prayers. They are truly appreciated and felt! I am so grateful for this Gospel and for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord! I can’t believe how fast the time has flown by! Only 5 more changes! And they are flying by. (FYI changes are on the 13th) it is scarring me how fast time is going! But I’m gonna finish and focus on my mission! I still have a ton of damage to do here in the devils plan and even more with the surge of missionaries coming out! I love you all and until next time!
Elder Call